Expt No.

: __________ Date : _____________

1. ACIDITY

AIM:

To determine the acidity of the given sample of water.

THEORY:
Acidity of water is its quantitative capacity to react with a strong base to a designated pH.
Strong mineral acids, weak acids such as carbonic acids and acetic acid and hydrolyzing salt
such as ferric and aluminium sulphates may contribute to the measured acidity according to
the method of determination. Acidity determination is important as it interferes in the
treatment of water as in softening, corrodes pipes and affects aquatic life as in case of
discharging waste water into a natural source.

PRINCIPLE:
Hydrogen ions present in sample as a result of dissociation or hydrolysis of solutes is
neutralized by titration with a standard alkali. The mineral acidity can be calculated by
titrating the sample with a strong base to pH 4.3 and CO2 acidity can be neutralized
completely by continuing the titration to pH 8.2. As the colour change of phenolphthalein
indicator is close to pH 8.3, this value is generally accepted as a standard end point for
titration of total acidity including and mineral acids. Mineral acidity is measured by titration
to a pH of about 4.5 using methyl orange as indicator.

APPARATUS:

1. Burette
2. Pipette
3. Erlenmeyer flask

REAGENTS:

1. free distilled water

2. standard NaOH
3. Methyl orange indicator
4. Phenolphthalein indicator
PROCEDURE:

1. Pipette 20mL of the sample to the flask.

2. Add 1 or 2 drops of methyl orange indicator.
3. Sample is titrated against 0.02N standard NaOH. The end point was noted when the
colour changes from orange red to yellow and volume of titrant used noted as V1.
4. Add one or two drops of phenolphthalein indicator.
5. The titration is continued until colour changes to pink. The volume of titrant used was
noted as V2.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS:

Methyl orange indicator Phenolphthalein indicator

Sl. No: Initial burette Final burette V1 Final burette

V2 mL
reading reading mL reading

Mineral acidity as mg/L of CaC=

Total acidity as mg/L of CaC =-

acidity as mg/L of CaC = Total alkalinity – Mineral acidity

RESULT:

Mineral acidity as mg/L of CaC =

Total acidity as mg/L of CaC =

acidity as mg/L of CaC =

DISCUSSION:
Water containing mineral acidity is unpalatable. Acidity interfere with the treatment of
water such as softening. It corrodes the pipe and also affect aquatic life. Water having
acidity more than 50 mg/L cannot be used for RCC work.

INFERENCE: